It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to legendary Velvet Underground frontman and influential solo songwriter and guitarist, Lou Reed. Reed passed away at 71 years old on 27 October 2013. How he died hasn’t been disclosed yet.

The legend’s solo career started in 1972 in New York City, a year before the Velvet Underground broke up. Most recently, Reed put out Lulu in 2011, did a collaboration with Metallica, made an appearance on the Rave On Buddy Holly compilation in 2011, and did guest spots with Gorillaz in 2010 on their song “Some Kind Of Nature”, with Booker R. Jones in 2011 on his song “The Bronx”, and Metric in 2012 on their song “The Wanderlust”.

There is a new band that just started in Cape Town called Peasant. They describe themselves as ‘crusty crossover hardcore’, and feature members of Conqueror, Provider, The Dead Beats, and Betray the Emissary.

Can you even imagine how scary that must be. Maya Gabeira, a surfer from Rio de Janeiro, took what is one of the biggest waves ever ridden and documented by a human being, at Praia do Norte in Nazaré. The wave knocked her unconscious and held her under for a long time, before she got slammed by more walls of white water. She is fine now though, but broke her ankle.

Gerhard Human is an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is also one of the artists who did a deck graphic for the new Verb Artists Series 2013 range, which will be here soon. We caught up with him to chat about his graphic and what went into it…

What made you decide to take on this project?

Why not? Get my own personal deck AND exhibit with some rad people!

Name 1 thing you’ve lost and 1 thing you’ve found, worth mentioning.

I lost a Traser watch in Montagu 3 years ago. It was black and had orange bits on the numbers, in case if anyone finds it… I found R20 in my back pocket a while ago! That was great.

Tell us more about your artwork. Why did you decide to do what you did? What is the story behind it?

I wanted to do a design that you can spend time looking at; something that takes you away from the surroundings you’re used to and add a sense of adventure.

You do understand that, through the execution of your artwork onto the bottom of a skateboard deck, most of the replicas of your artwork will be thrown around, and get scratched and broken in the street right? How does that make you feel?

Well, nothing stays beautiful forever. That’s the nature of life. Things deteriorate and from that comes new ideas. There’s a Buddhist practice of crafting an intricate mandala out of coloured sand, which takes hours, even days to complete. After it’s finished they destroy it and start all over again. It’s supposed to teach you about the impermanence of material things… I guess in that same way letting go of precious material things is therapeutic.

Doing a graphic to be applied onto a skateboard deck is essentially just creating an artwork for a different size and shape canvas than normal. What excites you about the idea that your artwork is going to feature on a deck as opposed to doing a regular print?

The exciting thing is the audience it will be exposed to. Doing a painting that hangs in a gallery is great but is often only seen by upperclass people who’re in the habit of buying art. Whereas, a skateboard will be used by people like me. People who LIVE a creative life.

Name 5 verbs that describe your process when you were creating your graphic.

Hong Kong’s first tattoo convention took place on 3 November 2013 at the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong. Tattoo artists from as far as Korea and Poland took part, along with some South African tattooers who live in Hong Kong, Ross Turpin and Rich Phipson from Starcrossed Tattoo.

Pat and Kirby’s part from The Deathwish Video Deluxe Edition. If you like this part and want to see the whole video with full parts from Greco, Ellington, Moose, Furby, Neen, Slash, Dickson and Lizard download the full Deathwish Video on iTunes here.

Jade Klara is an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. She is also one of the artists who did a deck graphic for the new Verb Artists Series 2013 range, which will be here soon. We caught up with her to chat about her graphic and what went into it…

What made you decide to take on this project?

I had a board when I was 8; an old 80’s shape with a bright pink mutant rat graphic. I was in love. I have always wanted to do a skate graphic.

Name 1 thing you’ve lost and 1 thing you’ve found, worth mentioning.

I once found a 5 leaf clover, but I was very young and bad at maths so you never know. I lose my brushes all the time but I find them holding my hair up.

Tell us more about your artwork. Why did you decide to do what you did? What is the story behind it?

When I thought of lost & found I thought of ancient treasure, of heaps of gold and rubies hiding in an undiscovered cave. I was then really intrigued by a genie’s lamp, but instead of a typical genie I wanted something more animalistic, so the wolf genie was born. I kept the scene quite dark and ghostly and then used metallic gold as a reference to lost treasure and magic.

You do understand that, through the execution of your artwork onto the bottom of a skateboard deck, most of the replicas of your artwork will be thrown around, and get scratched and broken in the street right? How does that make you feel?

I like that it has a lifespan. Ephemeral things are more poetic.

Doing a graphic to be applied onto a skateboard deck is essentially just creating an artwork for a different size and shape canvas than normal. What excites you about the idea that your artwork is going to feature on a deck as opposed to doing a regular print?

It’s great that this canvas has a purpose. It gets to move and break and see the world.

Name 5 verbs that describe your process when you were creating your graphic.

Lakai riders Riley Hawk, Jon Sciano, Miles Silvas and Sebo Walker went to Vancouver during the Canadian summer to skate and shoot off some disposable camera’s for Concrete Skateboard Magazine’s 2013 Photo Annual. Check out the full article here.

Received my first sets of the Kryptonics Star Trac’s yesterday and took some time out on my local slide hill in Woodstock,Cape Town, South Africa to see what they can do. This is a result of a short 20 minute session in between board shaping. Acceleration, controlled slide, and lightweight and I am happy with the wheel! Good job people at Kryptonics with the successful re-issue of a classic! – Kent

Kent Lingeveldt tests out the 70mm Green Kryptonics Star Trac wheels. He is the first international rider to test them out.

Favour The Brave Agency is pleased to announce that Canadian Hardcore Punk stalwarts; Comeback Kid (Victory Records) will be touring South Africa this coming January 2014. Having written some of the most memorable moments in hardcore history with sing-along hits like “Die Tonight”, “Wake The Dead”, “Broadcasting” and “G.M. Vincent & I”, Comeback Kid have cemented their brand of catchy hardcore punk in the hearts of their fans worldwide.

Comeback Kid will be supported throughout South Africa by Truth And Its Burden and Reason to Live. This tour promises to deliver powerful and moving performances across each city.

Globe Shoes and MTV are proud to announce the release of the Globe x Beavis and Butt-Head capsule collection. Designed as an homage to the heavy metal, in-your-face attitude of the original Beavis and Butt-Head series, the new Globe x Beavis and Butt-Head capsule collection brings together original and first time fans with product that is as fun as it is collectable.

Quality crafted 7-ply maple Globe x Beavis and Butt-Head cruiserboards and decks come in individual Beavis and Butt-Head shapes, each with original art by Mike Judge. The Beavis and Butt-Head Motley is a minimalist canvas shoe that features individual art derived from the show in the footbeds.

American hardcore band, Betrayal, recently graced our shores, touring the country alongside local Joburg bands Truth and Its Burden and Conqueror. They absolutely killed it, and all our local bands did us proud.

The Assembly in Harrington Street, Cape Town, has just introduced a new series of events they will be hosting starting in October entitled: “Assembly Radio Live – The Rock ‘n Rollercoaster Presents…”, a series unique to its kind of which intimate approach and unique setting has rarely been seen before in the Mother City.

A combination of the concept of VH1 Storytellers and MTV Unplugged – the series will host some of South Africa’s top music acts and offer fans, music fanatics, media and industry insiders the chance to interact with some of the biggest bands our country has to offer on a personal level.

“The idea came about when we considered the potential of Assembly Radio with the offering of The Assembly venue. It makes sense that when you combine the two elements, you get something very unique and new to the music scene. From the inception of Assembly Radio, Dylan Culhane’s Rock ‘n Rollercoaster show (which is broadcasted on Monday evenings) has been a stalwart in the line-up of shows, proudly waving the flag for the Rock ‘n Roll genre on the station. Week after week, the Rock ‘n Rollercoaster show provides our audience with great music and intriguing discussions and with Dylan’s ability to interview and get the most out of his subjects, it makes the perfect match for this event.”

Thus, the Rock ‘n Rollercoaster show will be taken from the radio booth and given a much larger platform on the stage whilst inviting an audience to participate. Some of South Africa’s most influential artists and bands have been selected to perform acoustically and chat with Dylan Culhane in a very informal and relaxed setting. The audience will also have their chance to chat to the band and participate in the conversation.

Not only will the events offer a complete different experience than what fans are used to at The Assembly, but the venue itself will also be very different on the night. They will be bringing the stage to the crowd and creating a more intimate environment so that attendees can be a part of the evening. The appearance of the band will be broken up into live acoustic performances in between questions from Dylan as well as the crowd attending. The duration of the appearance will be around two hours, whereafter the audience is welcome to see the night out at the venue. The evening will also be live broadcasted on Assembly Radio, and filmed for later viewing by fans.

“The live broadcast element allows fans nationally and internationally to tune in and be a part of the evening. The intimate conversational style of the evening sets it apart from other events, as well as giving the audience the opportunity to take part in the conversation.”

“Assembly Radio Live – The Rock n Rollercoaster Presents…” Offers:

– An intimate, unique experience with some of SA’s top music acts and artists.
– Hosted on a Monday, the chance to start your week interacting with your favourite band.
– The public and fans have the unique opportunity to join in the conversation and hear first hand what their favourite acts have to say.
– Media gains content directly from the horse’s mouth and no further investigation is necessary. They get the opportunity to gain information from the artists on stage, as well as the various other industry personalities attending in the audience.
– The SA music industry have the chance to be a part of a creative platform that will include media, fans and peers from the industry. This platform allows them to share and gain ideas and stories, as well as a networking and relationship-building opportunity.

Join Assembly Radio and The Rock ‘n Rollercoaster with Dylan Culhane for an evening of interviews and LIVE acoustic performances from Van Coke Kartel – the first in a series of events unique to its kind in Cape Town.

“Assembly Radio Live – The Rock ‘n Rollercoaster Presents…” will also be taking place on the 11th of November, and the 9th of December for 2013. Be sure to follow the links below to stay updated on all info with regards to the events.

Darkstar founder and brand manager, Chet Thomas, talks about the Darkstar First Push Completes, designed to get the first-time skater, whatever size or age, hyped on skating from their very first push.

What’s it like growing up working on the streets in a warzone, or spending the first 15 years of your life pretending to be a boy? How does it feel to be one of the first skateboarders in a country, and at the same time a girl in a conservative Muslim society? In a nation divided along ethnic and gender lines, how do art, education and skateboarding intersect to create new possibilities for change?

Skateistan’s 100% self-published book chronicles the first five years of the grassroots charity’s skateboarding and education project, including its struggles, successes, and its lasting impact on Afghan youth.

This is a story about Afghanistan you won’t find elsewhere. Read about Faranaz’s journey from selling tea in the streets, to becoming a paid skateboard instructor and mentor for hundreds of girls. Witness Afghan boys and girls skating in the empty pool where the Taliban once carried out executions.

Skateistan – The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan gives a rare, in-depth look into the lives of exceptional young Afghans facing incredible challenges and giving new life to a city that has been ravaged by war.

Skateistan’s photos and stories have been featured in several international media sources since 2008, and continue to connect with audiences worldwide, providing a rare glimmer of hope and happiness. What’s more, the purchase of the Skateistan book allows the reader to give back at the same time, with 100% of proceeds going directly towards helping Skateistan’s award-winning youth development projects.

“A beautiful production and will elevate any bookshelf, and it’s a perfect gift for the skateboarder that has everything.” – Tony Hawk Foundation (THF)

To celebrate our 10 year anniversary we took Alan Marola back to the same handrail of the AV issue 01 cover to try and get another cover. On the mission was Miguel Howell (Photographer) and Jamie O’Brien who both made the mission with Alan 10 years ago. Enjoy.

Screenings of AV Skateboarding Issue 20 are happening in Cape Town, Durban and PE today, and in Joburg tomorrow. Be there!

Sam Phillips is an American tattoo artist. He owns and operated American Tattoo in Bonsall CA. He has been tattooing and painting since 2001. We think his tattoos are pretty cool, and so are his machines he made from upcycled Independent Trucks.

Jeremy Fish, illustrator and artist, did this sculpture of his famous character, the ‘Silly Pink Bunny’. It was an installation that existed at the base of Haight Street, San Francisco, for years. Construction began and they removed the bunny. As a kind of response, the neighbourhood and Jeremy Fish are trying to put a 10 foot tall permanent bronze sculpture in its place, which is going to cost $50000. Watch the video above to see why Jeremy thinks that this is important.

A new set of Army regulations, now under final review, would ban tattoos below the knee or elbow, but soldiers who already have the ink will be grandfathered in. That has set off a rush by soldiers to get work done ahead of a looming cutoff date, which Army authorities have said will most likely be 60 days after the approval of any new regulation.

Current Army uniform policy bans tattoos on the head and face, but it allows them down the arms and legs and on the hands. New recruits face the same prohibitions but also are banned from having neck tattoos. The coming regulations have irked many soldiers who would like to keep adding to their skin-art collection.

“Who’s going to see our tattoos?” asked 21-year-old Pvt. Cody Hartman, a combat engineer, who recently got a Chevrolet symbol on his left forearm and has plans to get a chain-link fence on his right. Both combat and dress uniforms have long pants and sleeves, which cover up tattoos most troops get in line with existing rules, he said, adding: “It’s not like it’s going to affect professional appearance.”

Tattoos have long been a part of military culture, but as they have become more popular, and more prominently displayed on the body, the various branches have been reining them in to try to maintain a professional look. “Tattoos and the military go hand in hand,” said Staff Sgt. Bahmandeji. A soldier without a tattoo “is like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly,” he said.

Burials is the upcoming ninth studio album by the American rock band AFI. It will be released on October 22, 2013 through Republic Records.
In a statement regarding the album, AFI frontman Davey Havok said, “This record is of silence, of burials, and the burials that result from that silence. It’s of betrayal, cruelty, weakness, anxiety, panic – deep and slow – despair, injury and loss. And in this it is shamefully honest and resolutely unforgiving”.

An adventure sports film contest, Wavescape Shortcuts, has been launched to celebrate South Africa’s growing passion for extreme sports. Short films are a great format for sharing stoke in the Internet age, and the popularity of adventure sports is higher then ever. With the advent of quality, easy to use action cams like GoPro, almost anyone with passion can tell an adventure story and share it with a wide online audience. Wavescape Director Ross Frylinck says “We have seen the exponential growth of adventure sport short films over the last decade at the Wavescape Surf Festival and on www.wavescape.co.za. Shortcuts has been created to celebrate and support this movement in SA“. Adventure sports films covering surfing, skating, kitesurfing, bodyboarding, MTB, snowboarding are all welcomed. Film entries need to be between 30 seconds and 5 minutes in length, and can explore all aspects and angles through documentary, stop-frame, animation or anything in between. Dewald de Jager of GoPro says “GoPro is making it so easy to create, manage, edit and share high quality video using innovations like the GoPro app and newly released GoPro Studio. Anyone can now download the GoPro Studio application for free and edit a great video using one of the templates provided. It is that easy.” “We’re delighted to be part of the Wavescape Shorts Film Contest“, says Marié van Niekerk, Marketing Director of BOS Ice Tea. It creates a wonderful platform for self expression within the realm of natural sports and ties in wonderfully with our philosophy of Joy through Creativity.”

The contest launches 19 September and runs until 30 November 2013. Winning entries will be screened at the Wavescape Surf Festival in Cape Town in December. Prizes include R30,000 in GoPro cameras, a custom BOS surfboard, years supply of BOS drinks and R5,000 cash bonus if the winning film was shot on a GoPro camera.

The Assignment
Go out and shoot footage of any extreme or adventure sport, such as snow, skate, wake, surf, MTB, BASE jumping or wingsuit flying. You can make it doccie style, fiction, or just adrenalin-pumped action to music. Enter using four simple steps. Your submission will be reviewed and published on Wavescape. Get your Facebook friends to like your video on Wavescape as 40% of the judges’ decision is based on likes.

Rules
– Your video must be between 30 seconds and 5 minutes long.
– Content of your video should contain footage of any adventure sport involving gravity, for example surfing, mountain biking, skateboarding, snowboarding, and climbing. We reserve the right to decide what constitutes an adventure sport. There is no such thing as extreme tiddly winks. No motorised sports please.
– Your movie can be shot on any make of camera, though GoPro have offered R5,000 cash if the winning video is shot on a GoPro.
– Videos must be hosted on either Vimeo or Youtube. On the online entry form you will be prompted to paste the code from the end of your video URL. This will submit your film to us and it will be pubished on Wavescape.co.za.
– You must be able to provide Wavescape with the original HD video file if you win. If you can’t, you will be disqualified and the next closest entry will win.
– Videos that are submitted without the correct info in the upload form will not be judged.
– By entering the contest, you grant Wavescape Media, BOS, GoPro and Omnico a royalty-free licence for 24 months from date of submission to use your film in its submitted, finished format as content to promote the Shortcuts contest on the Internet and at live screenings at the Wavescapes Surf Festival.
– If you want to remove your video from the competition, you may do so by asking Wavescape to delete your video prior to the deadline for entries. There is no limit on the number of videos you may submit.
– To be eligible you must be a citizen or permanent resident of South Africa. Children 13 years or younger must have parents’ approval. Employees of Wavescape, BOS, GoPro and Omnico, and their relatives are not eligible to enter the contest.
– The competition closes on Saturday November 30.

Judging
– After the contest closes on 30 November 2013, Round One of the process involves the films being previewed by Wavescape to ensure they comply with the requirements of the contest. Films that do not comply will be disqualified.
– Selected films will advance to Round Two where will be rated by a panel of judges from Wavescape and other experts in filmmaking. This accounts for 60% of the judging, which takes place from 1 to 6 December 2013.
– 40% of the total score will come down to Facebook Likes on the video embedded on Wavescape after you upload it (and we have moderated it). The more Facebook Likes on your video, the higher your score. In Round Three, we convert the Facebook score to a number out of 40, and tally this up with the judges score to get a final total out of 100.
– Winners will be selected and notified by email by 6 December 2013.

Privacy
The personal information you submit on the entry form will only be used to contact you in the event you win the contest or if there is a question or issue regarding your video or its content. We will not disclose, give, sell, or transfer any personal information about you, unless required for law enforcement or by statute.

Jagermeister presents for the very first time in South Africa, USA’s Betrayal (Mediaskare Records) on the SURVIVE THE WILD TOUR. The US hardcore outfit is set to tour alongside Truth And Its Burden (Rite Of Passage Records) and CONQUEROR HC, both prominent hardcore bands from Johannesburg.

The trio will embark on a nationwide tour that will send them through every major city in South Africa, travelling the long scenic routes between cities and soaking up South African culture and beauty.

SURVIVE THE WILD TOUR will also have select performances filmed along with a full tour documentary while on the road, to be considered for worldwide release upon completion.

A free download is available on Betrayal’s latest song “Pieces Of Home” over at www.favourthebrave.com. Download it now, learn the lyrics and sing em along with the rest of us at the show!

TransWorld Skateboarding have released the ‘Istanbul, Turkey’ section of Fallen Footwear’s Road Less Traveled documentary. This is the second instalment after the ‘Intro’ part. Watch the second part of a journey two and a half years in the making with the Fallen team as they globe trotted the world in search of the next skate spot. Click the image above to watch the video.

For most of us skateboarding is a way of life, but somehow the focus of almost every skate video has been based around single tricks that come together to make individual video parts. While we’ve always enjoyed watching and making these types of videos, there’s something special about knowing what went into a project and what it was like for those who experienced it first hand. Therefore, when we set out to make the new Fallen video, we wanted to document every aspect of our missions with the goal of taking the viewer on the journey with us. Over the course of two and a half years, we traveled to Turkey, Croatia, South Africa, Portugal, the American West and Thailand. The memories alone made the extended travel and uncomfortable situations worth the effort.

Email info@revolution.co.za with exactly what pair/s you want and your postal address. We will then send you our bank details, and when we see the money reflect, we will send your shoes to you. First come, first serve.

Tattooed people from all over the world recently met up at the London International Tattoo Convention, the 9th one of its kind. Over 300 tattoo artists were there to show off their skills. Here are some images from the convention…

View the Intro of Fallen’s Road Less Traveled documentary and begin a journey two and a half years in the making with the Fallen team as they globe trotted the world in search of the next skate spot. Click the image above to watch the video.

About Road Less Traveled:

For most of us skateboarding is a way of life, but somehow the focus of almost every skate video has been based around single tricks that come together to make individual video parts. While we’ve always enjoyed watching and making these types of videos, there’s something special about knowing what went into a project and what it was like for those who experienced it first hand. Therefore, when we set out to make the new Fallen video, we wanted to document every aspect of our missions with the goal of taking the viewer on the journey with us. Over the course of two and a half years, we traveled to Turkey, Croatia, South Africa, Portugal, the American West and Thailand. The memories alone made the extended travel and uncomfortable situations worth the effort.

Brixton and Thrasher Magazine are proud to present Water Hazards, a new video by Jon Holland featuring Ernie Torres, Taylor Bingaman, Anthony Schultz, Jordan Taylor, Christian Maalouf, Kevin Coakley and Dolan Stearns as they scour the American West for terrain.